Gold washer



March 1 1927.

T. F. X. BEAUDET com) WASHER Filed Jan. 29, 1925 3mm z'z'x. 641162;

Patented Mar. 1, 1927.

UNI TED ,S TATES PA oFFicE.

GOLD WASHER.

Application filed January This invention relates to a machine for washing fine gold from sand and gravel, the object being to effect the separation in a simple manner and with a minimum of labor. As usually done, the separation of fine gold from sand is attained in ritlied sluice boxes or the like, but with such means the flow of water necessary to carry the gold bearing sand over the riflles is such that line float gold is carried over in suspension in the water. I

In the machine, which is the subject of this application, a currentof water is not used, but the gold bearing sand is washed from the gravel by a cradle rocking it in a tank of stationary water, wherein the fine gold is allowed to settle to the bottom and the upper stratum of the same from which the gold has been settled is removed from the tank a little at a time.

The invention is'particularly described in the following specification, reference being made to the drawings by which it is accompanied, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation and part section of the rocker within the tank.

, Fig. 2 is a plan of the rocker, portions being removed to reveal portions beneath, and

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of one of the bars of the conveyor chains by which the sand is removed from the tank.

In these drawings-2 represents a relatively shallow tank having angled ends. This tank is preferably constructed of an angle iron frame with wood or sheet metal bottom, sides and ends. This tank 2 is supported on legs and runners 3 at a convenient height for operation. \Vithin thetank is a conveyor composed of two endless chains 4, one in each side of the tank, which chains pass around sheaves 5 at each end and within and without the bottom, between which chains angle iron cross rails 6 are secured at intervals apart. Each bar 6 has a series of metal pins 7 projecting downward from the side of the angle iron which is secured to the chain, and that side of the angle iron which projects from the hain has saw cuts 8 at intervals apart intermediate the pins.

YVithin one end of the tank 2 a rocker 10, forming a segment of a cylinder, is suspended below the centre of its curvature on a rod 11 which extends between two wheeled carriages 12, the flanged wheels of which run on the angle iron edges of the tank frame.

29, 1925. Serial No. 5,646.

At one end of the tank an angle iron frame 18 slopes upward from the upper edge of the tank to above and beyond one of the ends to allow the rocker 10 to be run beyond the end and tilted, as shown by the dot and'dash lines in Fig. 1, to dumpthe contents of the rocker from which the sand has been washed.

The bottom 14 0f the rocker is formed of bars, preferably square, which are spaced apart to the required degree of fineness of sand which it is desired to pass through the tank, and within this barred bottom 14 is a concentric screen 15 ofper forated sheet metal. A handle 16 extends across each end of the rocker 10 by which it may be manually oscillated on its pivot rod 1 i In use, the tank 2 is filled with water and the cradle 10 is charged with the gravel to be washed. It may be moved to any posi tion along the horizontal portion of the tank edges and when the rocking has washed from the gravel all the available sand, in which are the values, this sand will pass first through the perforations of the screen 15 and later through the interspaces of the bars in the bottom 14:. The rocker is then run up the incline of the frame 13 and is dumped over the end of the tank and a fresh filling of gravellis charged into it and washed in the same manner.

Periodically-the chain 1- is moved in the direction of the arrow by a'crank handle on one of the chain wheel shafts, whereby the sand, which has settled on the bottom of the tank, is slowly agitated and stirred by the pins 7 of the bars 6 that anyfine gold may fall through the sand and settle on the bottom. of the tank 2.

It will be noted that the pins 7 only loosen the sand to allowthe gold values to settle through it and do not agitate it in a manner that will lift the gold into suspension" in the water.

As the level of the sand increases in the tank the upper stratum, from which. the fine gold has been settled, will be carried alittle at a time lyingin the angle of eachcross bar 8 and dumped over the end of the tank, as shown in Fig. 1..

A little mercury may be used in the bottom of the tank to necessary.

It will be seen that what agitation is imparted to the water by the cradle is at ornear the surface, where the exposed area is lengthened and for this reason the agitacollect the gold, if found tion does not penetrate to any depth. This cradling action rolls the gravel together and washes the gold bearing sand from it. Thereafter, the sand is carried through the perforated screen 15 and then through the spaced apart bars 14; into the tank 2 where it is allowed to settle to the bottom. The action of the pins 7 slowly moving through the sand prevents it from packing and allows the gold to settle to the bottom of the tank, as a slight eddy follows the movement of each pin through thesand and onceunder the sand, it is retained against any further disturbance. The small quantity of water required for the operation of the machine is a distinct advantage and particularly so in countries where water is scarce.

Having now particularly described my invention, I hereby declare that what I claim as new and desire to be protected in by Letters Patent, is: v

1. A gold washer comprising a water tank having a bottom and inclined ends, means shiftable from end to end of said tank and located within the upper portion thereof for screening the sand from the gravel, and another means movably along the bottom and inclined ends of said tank and including a conveyor with pins for raking the sand deposited in the bottom of the tank and with angle bars for removing from the tank the upper stratum of sand.

2. A gold washer, comprising in combination, a water tank, a cradle, means for mounting said cradle within the upper part of the tank for movement from place to place in the direction of the length of the tank, which cradle is adapted to retain the larger material and allow the finer material to pass through it into the tank, and means movable along the bottom of the tank for raking the sand deposited therein with pins whereby the heavier constituents may settle through the sand to the bottom, and means for removing the upper stratum of sand from the deposit when it accumulates beyond a certain depth.

3. A gold washer, comprisingin combination, a tank, a cradle, means for mounting said cradle within the upper part out the tank for movement from place to place in the direction of the length of the tank, the curved underside of said cradle being of transverse bars spaced that a concentric perforated screen, means apart and within for dumping the contents of the cradle over the end of the tank, and an endless conveyor chain of transverse bars movable along the bottom of the 'tank from which bars pins downwardly project, through the sand deposit in the tank allow the heavier constituents to settle through the sand to the bottom.

4:. A gold washer, comprising in combina tion, a relatively shallow tank the ends of which slope upward from the bottom, an endless conveyor movable along the bottom of the tank between the ends, said conveyor having transverse angle irons bars with pins downwardly projecting bars toward the bottom of the tank, the up wardly projecting other side of the bars having slits at intervals apart, means in the upper part of the tank for washing the sand from the gravel, and for dumping the gravel over the end of the tank.

5. A gold washer, comprising in combina- 7 tion, a relatively shallow tank, a cradle suspended within the open upper side thereof,

a transverse bar from which the cradle is suspended, a carriage supporting each end of the transverse bar, said carriages having flanged wheels to rest on the upper edges of the tank, rails inclined upward from the upper side edges ofthe tank at one end that will lift the cradle clear of the tank end and allow it to be dumped thereover, means for rocking the cradle to wash the sand from the gravel in the water of the tank,and an endless chain conveyor bottom of the tank, said conveyor adapted to remove the upper stratum of sand when it accumulates above a certain depth andfhas projections toward the bottom of the tank.

6; A gold washer, comprising in combination, a relatively shallow tank, a cradle sus pended within the Open upper side therof,

a transverse bar from which tlie oradle is suspended, a carriage supporting'each end of the transverse bar, said carriages ha ing flanged wheels to rest on the upperedgcs of the tank rails inclined upward from the upper, side edges of the tank at one end that will lift the cradle clear of the tank end and allow it to be dumped thereover, means for rocking the cradle to wash the sand from thegravel in the waterot the tank. a

In testimon THEODORE F. X. BEAUDET.

which being drawn from one side of the movable along a the whereof I affix my signature. 

